American Masters is made possible by the support of the National Endowment for the Arts and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding for American Masters is provided by Rosalind P. Walter, The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation, Rolf and Elizabeth Rosenthal, Cheryl and Philip Milstein Family, Jack Rudin, Vital Projects Fund, The André and Elizabeth Kertész Foundation, Michael & Helen Schaffer Foundation, and public television viewers.

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Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

The Day Carl Sandburg Died

This video from American Masters: The Day Carl Sandburg Died highlights the turning point in Sandburg’s life when his poem Chicago was first published in Poetry Magazine. Published in 1914, this poem still captures the attention of readers and is as relevant today as it was in the early 20th century.

In this video from American Masters: The Day Carl Sandburg Died, students learn about Carl Sandburg and his early days as a “poet of the people.” As a young man, Sandburg worked as an organizer for the Social-Democratic Party of Wisconsin. This work helped to fuel his poetry, which led him to focus on issues relevant to working people and the poor.

Note:In this video, the poems Masses and Mill-Doors are highlighted. Print the documents below for your students to reference as they watch the video.

This video from American Masters: The Day Carl Sandburg Died highlights Carl Sandburg’s biography of Abraham Lincoln. Known for his poetry, Sandburg began writing a short story about Lincoln meant for children. It soon became a six volume biography that changed the way Americans viewed Lincoln and the Civil War.

This video from American Masters: The Day Carl Sandburg Died examines Carl Sandburg’s epic poem, The People, Yes. Published at the height of the Great Depression, Sandburg was inspired to write The People, Yes for those hit hardest by unemployment and poverty. In this video, literary figures, friends, family, and Sandburg himself discuss the importance of this poem when it was published in 1936, and why it still matters today.

Grades: 7-12

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